SWAP Transportation and Rescue

14/04/2025

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!

Gizmo (formerly known as Rossi) has officially landed in Colorado with his FURever family!

This joyful reunion was made possible thanks to and the incredible Kyle, Gizmo’s Flight Angel. Kyle has now transported 4 rescues through out his time working at Southwest—each one a chihuahua! We’d say he’s officially a pro!

Gizmo’s new family was instantly reminded of their beloved senior pup, Poe. Poe too was a senior chihuahua who faced numerous health challenges—including a stage 6/6 heart murmur, collapsing trachea and end-stage congestive heart failure. Though the journey was difficult, his impact was life-changing.
That experience with Poe was so profound, it inspired his mom to pursue a career in cardiology, a promise to Poe and a commitment to helping other dogs with heart conditions. She vowed to continue rescuing senior chihuahuas in his honor.

Now, Gizmo is home! He is ready to be loved, spoiled and continue Poe’s legacy.
We’re beyond thrilled for this sweet boy and the family that waited so patiently to welcome him.

Congratulations to Gizmo, his incredible family and everyone who made this happy tail possible!

14/04/2025

Such an amazing transport with some amazing people! 🤍🥹🐶

Gizmo (formerly known as Rossi) has landed in Colorado with his forever family! 🐾💙

A heartfelt shoutout and thank you to SWAP Transportation and Rescue for helping make this possible! An extra special thank you to Kyle, Gizmo’s incredible flight angel! ✈️🐶

Kyle has been a flight attendant for 12 years and has always had a deep love for animals. In 2017, he discovered the role of flight angels and took his first pup, Dooley the chihuahua, under his wing. Since then, his chihuahua luck has continued! Kyle flew Gizmo from Texas all the way to Colorado, and generously covered the pet fee himself. “It’s a blessing and joy to bring such love to these senior dogs,” Kyle shared. We are so grateful for his compassion and kindness!💛

Gizmo’s new family says he reminds them of their late dog, Poe, who was also a senior. Upon taking in Poe, one of his moms shared, “I was initially very scared to take on senior dogs… I’d never gotten to walk to the end of my pet’s life alongside them, and didn’t know what it would look like.”

Poe was later diagnosed with a stage 6/6 heart murmur, enlarged heart, collapsing trachea, and end-stage congestive heart failure. His impact was profound, so much so that his mom is now pursuing a career in cardiology to help other dogs with CHF. She even promised Poe she would continue rescuing chihuahuas with heart conditions in his honor. 🐾💔

Now, they have Gizmo to love, spoil, and continue that mission. We couldn’t be more thrilled for this sweet boy and his amazing new family. ❤️

Congrats to all! 🎉

03/04/2025

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!

From rags to riches, Romeo’s journey is nothing short of amazing! This sweet 13 year old, 4-pound gentleman started his new chapter after arriving at the Montgomery County Shelter in rough shape—underweight, with overgrown nails and a matted coat. But thanks to the love and care he received by , Romeo blossomed into the healthy, happy, and handsome pup he was always meant to be!

And now, his fairy tale is complete! 💕 Lisa in Florida opened her heart and home to Romeo, giving him the love he deserves. A huge shoutout to our incredible Flight Angel, Charlene W, who made sure Romeo got there safely, flying him from AUS to SRQ! ✈️🐶
We couldn’t think of a better volunteer to help transport this sweet boy. Thank you so much Charlene for all you do!

Romeo, (now named Tiny!) we couldn’t be happier for you! Wishing you endless snuggles, belly rubs, and sunshine in your new home!
❤️💛💙

03/04/2025

We LUV our partner rescues and all that they do in the rescue world! Thank you, LWHA, for saving lives and making a difference❣️

✈️LWHA x SWAP! ✈️

Big news—Romeo is officially the first pup in our program to take flight with Transportation and Rescue, and we love them already!💙

SWAP was founded by Erica Plowman in August 2017 in response to Hurricane Harvey and Irma. What started as a one-time effort quickly became a full-time mission when Erica realized just how many more animals she could help. Today, SWAP and its dedicated team of flight angels transport rescue pets to their forever homes using flight benefits, saving lives one flight at a time.

But SWAP’s impact goes even further! They also assist other organizations by transporting service dogs for Veterans with PTSD and pups heading to and from specialized training programs. Erica and her team are truly amazing!

Right now, Romeo is with his flight angel, Charlene Wyckoff, who is transporting him from Texas to Florida. She will also be caring for him overnight before he continues his journey to his forever home. Charlene is an incredible person herself—she shared:

"Being retired from Southwest, I/we get non-rev flight benefits and volunteer our time to save a pet’s life! Since my little guy passed away in November, I try to do a transport once a week… and Romeo is extra special."

We are beyond grateful to Charlene and Erica for making this journey possible. Stay tuned—when Romeo arrives safely tomorrow, we’ll share another post featuring his forever momma, Lisa Mckee!💕

Safe travels, Romeo!🐶✈️

24/02/2025

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!

Amazing Flight Angel Kelly has done it again! She volunteered to transport this sweet pup- Poptart! With a heart full of compassion, she flew him from Dallas to Baltimore (on her off day!).
He was saved by our friends at Dallas Pets Alive. Shout out to them for all they’re doing in the rescue world!
At 8 months old he was an owner surrender TWICE and sadly this sweet boy is partial blind. They partnered with a rescue in the NE to help him find a FURever home. He deserves the absolute best 🤍

Poptart now has a chance at a brighter future thanks to Kelly!
Her selfless act helped Poptart get one step closer to a LUVing home.
We are grateful to be apart of his story and excited for his bright future.
Happy tails Poptart❣️

29/11/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE:

Extra Thankful for Charlene W who donated her day to take Honey from MSY-BWI! This transport took the majority of the day as Charlene started in FL that AM!

Her dedication to get Honey home before the Holiday shows how big her heart is.
Honey is now HOME thanks to Charlene, PURRS of HOPE Rescue and her new adopter, Shelly.

Honey did amazing on her journey to her new mama. She will spend the rest of her life being spoiled and living her best life indoors.

We appreciate all the rescue efforts that our partners are doing around the globe and we look forward to helping transport more to their FURever Homes!

05/10/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE:

Charlene W has done it again. She donated her day to take Clove from FLL-BWI! Thank you Charlene for all your help!
Clove and her siblings were on the euthanasia list at only a few weeks old. Kelly with pulled all the babies and found them all FURever homes!
We truly appreciate you and the difference you’re making in the rescue world.

Clove’s new mama was beyond thrilled to meet her new kitten and we are so excited for them both. Clove has a bright future ahead ☀️

05/09/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!
Brooke donated her day to take Fancy Nancy from DAL-BWI! She was rescued with our friends at Dallas Pets Alive and found a FURever home in the NE! We are thankful and fortunate to partner with them! Making a difference, one rescue at a time.

Thank you to our STAR Flight Angel Brooke for all your help and LUVing on this sweet girl.
❤️💛💙

11/05/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE

Sue D and Charlene W teamed up to take sweet Lina from SJC-DAL-SRQ!
Lina is a beautiful, yellow lab pup who has been accepted into training program. She is going to trained to be a Service Dog.

This transport couldn’t have been possible without Sue and Charlene. We are beyond grateful for these 2 Flight Angels! A special thing about this transport is that both Sue and Charlene are retired employees with Southwest Airlines! 🤩
Still putting their Hearts in Action❣️

This special girl is going to make a difference in someone’s life and we are so excited for her and her future.
Thank you all for making this transport happen.
(➡️ swipe to see Lina with her vest 🥹🦮)

27/04/2024

Transport Complete!

Ruby Lee made it to BWI thank to Tracy C! Thank you Tracy for donating your day to helping a senior pup in need!
Rescued by our friends at Dallas Pets Alive, this sweet pup is headed to a partner rescue who is going to find her the best home PAWSible!

It takes a village to get a pup rescued, vetted, transported and adopted. We appreciate everyone who helped this senior gal and we can’t wait to see what life has in store for her.

Happy Tails Ruby Lee!

19/04/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!

What an incredible day it was for Bindi, the sweet Papillon, who we helped transport to TX for her Service Dog Training!
Charlene W. flew sweet Bindi from SRQ-DAL where she will be trained to be a medical alert dog for someone in need! Shout out to Charlene for donating her day to Bindi. You have a heart of Gold and your LUV for transporting is contagious! So thank you, truly for all you do!

This was a Team effort thanks to our partners at
Topaz Assistance Dogs in FL. Robbie and his crew are doing amazing things and we are honored to help and be a small part of the journey for these incredible pups!

Small dogs, with a HUGE cause. We are excited for Bindi and her future to help someone in need 🥹

Stay tuned for Part 2!

26/02/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!

Laura S is always one to step up when it comes to helping a Service Dog get to where it needs to be! Shout out to Laura- THANK YOU!

Sweet Furby needed our help to get from RSW-GRR where she’ll be training to be a Service Dog for someone in need. This transport was made possible by our friends at Topaz Assistance Dogs and Paws With A Cause ®.
We are happy we can help and give back to not only rescues in need but also to Service Dog organizations through our program.

Furby is going to do GREAT things and offer a life changing opportunity for someone in need. We can not wait to see what the future has in store for her.

Thank you to the amazing TEAM of individuals who made this transport possible.
❤️💛💙

10/02/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!

Husband and wife duo, Tony and Tracy, have done it again! They transported 4 pups from DAL-LGA! These pups were rescued with Hearts & Bones Rescue and have a second chance at life thanks to these 2 Flight Angels!

With potential adopters already lined up, these 4 have a great life ahead of them.
From rags to riches ✨

Making a difference in the rescue world is what fuels our Team of Flight Angels.
We are thankful for the opportunity to use our benefits to help rescues in need.
❤️💛💙

08/02/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE:

First time Flight Angel Apurva B. is hooked! She transported two kitties from HOU-BOS with our friends Caturday Cat Rescue!

“Mandarin was found as a bottle baby in an empty apartment. A good samaritan bottle fed her and her brother Tangelo. Caturday rescued them together. The adopter recently adopter her brother, Tangelo, and has decided to adopt Mandarin also!

Mint and her two brothers were found living with someone, but the person had no money for pate or formula. She begged Caturday to take the three babies. Mint was raised with a wonderful foster and has thrived. She found her forever family in Boston. Her new dad, Sean, is so excited and ready to be the best cat dad!”

Every rescue pet has a story. Both of these babies were transport to their new families and now have a second chance at FURever.
Thank you to the amazing Team for making this PAWsible.

21/01/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!
First time Flight Angels Raegan and Rachel took these 4 pups from Dallas to LaGuardia to get to their rescue 🐾
What an exciting day for these cutie pies! They were LUVed by all and did FANTASTIC on their journey to The Big Apple 🍎
This transport was made PAWsible because of our 2 amazing volunteers. We can’t thank you ladies enough for all your help and big hearts.
They’re HOOKED and will be helping out with more in the future so keep your eyes out for these 2! From rookies to pros 🥰

Thank you to the H&B crew for all your hard work and saving so many pups in need. We LUV y’all!

16/01/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!

WHAT A DAY! Our 2 amazing Flight Angels, Dana Y and Juan G donated their day to helping 4 pups get from Dallas to NYC!
Thank you both for waking up early on your off day to help these 4 pups!

This was a team effort with our friends at . We are thankful for this partnership and appreciative of all their rescue efforts!
Because of their program, these 4 have a second chance at life.

Thank you Juan and Dana for taking this “precious cargo” to the Big Apple 🍎
We couldn’t have done this without you!

05/01/2024

TRANSPORT COMPLETE!

Kathy D and Vanessa S have done it again❣️
They transported not 1.. not 2.. BUT FOUR babies from FLL-BWI. Such an exciting day for these 4! A great way to start the new year! ✨
This transport was a team effort with . She is making a huge difference in the rescue world, 1 kitty at a time! 🐱
Thanks to her rescue efforts, 4 kitties were saved and found FURever families. We appreciate you Kelly for all you do!

Shout out to the Beth and Cheryl for choosing to ADOPT. 2 families just got a little bigger 💕

Thank you to our amazing Flight Angels for donating your day to rescues in need and helping these 4 kittens get to their new homes ❤️💛💙

05/01/2024